30 places to eat in Louisiana

This prestigious restaurant was once an old plantation. From the moment you enter, the treatment by the staff is really warm, making you feel really welcome. The service is unique and very caring. The place is beautiful. Each dish is cooked with great care and dedication. The taste is exquisite. I particularly recommend the turtle soup. If I had to choose one adjective to define the place, I'd say SPECTACULAR. If you go to New Orleans, don't miss Commanders Palace.

The Blue Plate Cafe is a place everyone should go! This food is great, and even better than being great, it's cheap! Maybe that's why this place is always packed. The waiters are friendly and there's a nice quiet atmosphere or local jazz music are perhaps the other features that capture visitors. Don't hesitate, you won't regret it.

Excellent Cajun & Creole food, which is the most emblematic kind of food in New Orleans. The staff is all very friendly and the prices for these large portions are very competitive. They specialize in oysters, crawfish, and lobster. You can also try typical dishes cone cajun jambalaya or gumbo.

Cafe Du Monde is a New Orleans institution conveniently located at one end of the French Market, near the cathedral, the cute Jackson Square, and just steps from the Mississippi. Whether you prefer the interior or the outdoor terrace, the Cafe Du Monde serves up the best donuts in town. Served three by three in a small basket and covered with icing sugar, they are simply excellent. And if you like, you can even by the mix to make these donuts at home! It's like a bit of New Orleans to take home with you! We loved the nice terrace and the beautiful view of Jackson Square. The service was considerate and the cafe au lait, another central element of this cafe, was wonderful.

La Divina Gelateria is one of the few gelato shops in New Orleans and it's located just off the famous Bourbon Street. After a sweaty afternoon exploring the French Quarter, there's nothing better than sitting down on a small terrace to enjoy a cool, tasty ice cream. Or a drink, if that's what you prefer...this is New Orleans, after all, so let the good times roll! It's an indispensable place to cool down in the French Quarter.

Located in the heart of the idyllic French Quarter of New Orleans, just a short walk from the French market and the Mississippi River, the Market Cafe is one of our favorite stops in the neighborhood. We love the small terrace that allows you to see and chat with locals, passing tourists, and street musicians, who give concerts several times throughout the day and night, all with different groups, the prices are reasonable and the servers are friendly (multiple servers speak French!). A simple and easy place to hang out.

Eating at Upperline is an experience. Imagine and elegant and formal service with uniformed waiters in a space where the walls are full of art, like a mix between a classy Parisian restaurant and a painter's studio. The owner is a fan of the art world and has filled the walls with colorful works by many local artists; some of the paintings are restaurant scenes and others veer more towards surrealism. The Upperline has a dinner menu which includes 3 courses for a set price of $40.00. Not a bad deal considering the quality of the restaurant. I ate the best gumbo in New Orleans and the duck. The spicy sea bass was also delicious, as was the goat cheese salad. It is an ideal place for a romantic evening or dinner with friends. The restaurant is also located in a nice residential area so you can go for a nice walk after dinner. The street car stop is 2 minutes from the restaurant.

Musical Legends Park was one of our favorite places in the French Quarter, an area known worldwide for its endless 24-hour party scene. Basically, Musical Legends Park has a large, sunny terrace full of statues of famous New Orleans musicians and even a few real musicians playing the classics. Good place for a drink with a little music.

You can't miss the Hard Rock Cafe in New Orleans, located at St Peter Street and Decatur. Admittedly, it is a bit far from the Louisiana culture and cuisine that we came to experience, but you need the occasional monstrously-sized hamburger. They're delicious!

You can't miss Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. if yo're traveling with kids or are a fan of Forrest Gump. It's located just steps from the Jackson Brewery and was inspired by the film Forest Gump where a chunk of the story takes place on a shrimp boat on the Mississippi. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and serves an innumerable variety of shrimp dishes, as you can probably guess.

Maison Bourbon is a New Orleans establishment located in the heart of the French Quarter, just a few steps from the world-famous Preservation Hall. Maison Bourbon is dedicated to the preservation of jazz and is also the one of the major jazz clubs in the city. They have great jazz concerts every night at 9:00 pm and while the entry is free, there's a one-drink minimum and the drinks can be quite expensive. That being said, the atmosphere is great! Oh, and the daiquiris and piña coladas are excellent.

Tropical Isle is one of those iconic Bourbon Street bars that never closes and where there is a party atmosphere any time of day, complete with live music, dancing, and tons of revelers on the dance floor. They serve huge "hand grenade" cocktails served in plastic cups shaped like grenades. The place is especially nuts at happy hour. If you want to live the true Bourbon Street experience, it's a good place to start.

Napoleon House is one of the most iconic and historic bars in New Orleans. Located at the intersection of Chartres Street and St. Louis, it was once home of one of the staunchest supporters of the Bonapartist cause who had scheme to help Napoleon escape from St. Helena and take refuge in Louisiana. The project eventually failed because the owner died before Napoleon. Though those days are long gone, the Napoleon House is still open and what's better than a cool drink in a historic New Orleans mansion? The interior is nice, but try to get a table outdoors so you can enjoy your drink in the sun.

The Central Grocery was one of the culinary highlights of our trip to New Orleans. It's located on Decatur Street just steps from the French Market and is a historic deli which actually invented many New Orleans specialties. For example, Central Grocery was the first to sell mufuletta, a dish invented by a Sicilian immigrant which consists of a bun filled sausage and served with a sauce made of olives, capers and various spices. The sandwiches are super-tasty and not very expensive (about $8.00). Be prepared to wait, though, because the place is popular among tourists and locals alike. Though you might have to wait up to half and hour for your food, I guarantee that it's worth it. Even if you're not in the mood for a mufuletta, the deli stocks a variety of Italian goods so you're sure to find something you like.

Angelo Brocato has been operating for over 100 years, and has become an institution in New Orleans. Located in Mid-City (you can walk here from the trolley line). Closed on Mondays. They specialize in Italian desserts, and in addition to the great range of ice cream, they have cakes, cannoli, cakes and very good coffee.

If you like Louisiana food (or food in general), you should add some cooking classes to your trip. In New Orleans, Chef Amy (winner of a reality TV cooking show) will show you Cajun and Creole secrets. The school is beautiful, located in a former Italian market and was recently refurbished. It is also possible to walk from the French Quarter. You can participate in class as much as you please: if you like doing things for yourself, no one will prevent you from doing your own thing, whereas if you are more of an observer, you can watch others while you enjoy a glass of champagne. Classes can be individual or group, and last about 2 hours. In my class (brunch) we prepared and tasted gumbo, turtle soup, jambalaya, homemade bread and pancakes. Needless to say, it was all delicious ... At the end of the course, they give you the recipes of the dishes you cooked so that you can make them at home.

The Vacherie is located in the center of the French Quarter (very close to Bourbon Street) and specializes in Cajun food. It is an elegant place, one of those that you feel important just visiting. But unlike other high-end restaurants, Vacherie's staff and chef are both young and make you feel right at home. The decor is simple, but the pictures on the wall and flowers on the table give the place a cheerful touch.
I didn't know what to order so I ended up getting a tasting menu. It came with Andouille sausage with cheese and nuts, alligator with spicy tartar sauce, shrimp ceviche, seafood gumbo, crab stew, Brussels sprouts in a bacon vinaigrette, and Louisiana sweet potato. It's was the perfect menu to really discover what Louisiana cuisine is all about.

Kingfish Restaurant is located in the heart of the French Quarter and serves classic New Orleans cuisine. The signature dish is, of course, the king fish. It's cooked and served on Himalayan salt blocks and comes garnished with orange slices. It's absolutely delightful. It's also like to mention the rabbit gumbo and the corn and crab soup. My favorite, however, was the beet and pistachio salad. Outstanding! The restaurant's interior is authentic, with low lighting, wooden tables, and jazz playing in the background. You can't leave without trying a cocktail prepared by the famous bartender Chris McMillian.